Iranian Women's One Million Signatures Campaign for Equality: The Inside Story

This book offers a comprehensive account of Iranian women activists' successful awareness-raising efforts on a grassroots level, and their achievement of a higher level of consciousness in the process. It is a testament to the commitment of these women, whose consistent use of non-violent methods to bring about change has, by the time of this book's publication, led to the indictment and imminent imprisonment of more than fifty of the Campaign's advocates, including the book's author.

— Shirin Ebadi

Nobel Peace Laureate, 2003

Eloquently written by Noushin Ahmadi Khorasani, Iranian Women's One Million Signatures Campaign for Equality: The Inside Story details the history, strategies, and values that brought together a diverse group of Iranian women, men, and rights activists for the well-known women’s equality campaign. It is a valuable case study of a new model for grassroots movements in the twenty-first century, applicable not only in societies ruled by autocratic governments or influenced by radical fundamentalism, but also in more open and tolerant societies that have yet to achieve full equality for women.

Reviews

Iran's Million Signatures Campaign: A Leading Voice for Democracy by David Lowe in Democracy Digest, Nov 9, 2009)
"Ms. Khorasani's account of the movement goes well beyond its description of the injustices that it seeks to reform. Much of her analysis is devoted to explaining how the movement has addressed the numerous challenges it has faced internally, such as how to limit hierarchical decision making, how best to cater to the needs of young activists, how to overcome broad ideological differences, and how to broaden support into the provinces beyond Teheran. The tone is serious and thoughtful, helping make these essays an important guide for groups in autocratically ruled societies that seek to develop effective means of democratic activism."

Iranian Women's Voices by Mahnaz Afkhami in The Huffington Post, Oct 26, 2009)
"Khorasani, a renowned journalist, was a co-founder of the movement, and her account offers unique insight into an extraordinary story of Iranian women's perseverance, creativity and strength. Women came together in public and private spaces, both real and virtual, to share their stories and raise their collective voices in support of women's equal rights. The story also serves as a guide for other grassroots campaigns, a model for advocacy and education that transcends the political, economic and cultural barriers that often stand in the way of large-scale collective action."

"... an inspiring narrative about ordinary women doing extraordinary things in their quest for justice. A tale that is unique to the circumstances of today's Iran, yet applicable to the struggle for equality anywhere in the world." — Yakin Ertürk, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, 2003–2009"

"... an inspiring narrative about ordinary women doing extraordinary things in their quest for justice. A tale that is unique to the circumstances of today's Iran, yet applicable to the struggle for equality anywhere in the world." —Yakin Ertürk, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, 2003–2009"

"This story is a must-read for all those who cherish democracy and freedom...it testifies to the vitality, dynamism, and irrepressible spirit of the women [of Iran] who risked their lives and livelihoods for freedom." —Azar Nafisi, Author of Best-selling Memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran;

Our work in support of Iranian human rights activists has focused specifically on bolstering the women’s movement and the One Million Signatures campaign in Iran.
One Million Signatures Campaign
This campaign, founded in 2006, mobilizes a diverse group of activists both on the ground and online to collect signatures, raise awareness, and spark dialogue about the negative impact of discriminatory family laws on women’s lives and on society as a whole, resulting in a dynamic social justice movement.

Two new resources are available for download from Women’s Learning Partnership:
Arabic edition of Iranian Women’s One Million Signatures Campaign for Equality: The Inside Story
A comprehensive account of Iranian women activists' successful awareness-raising efforts on a grassroots level.
— Shirin Ebadi
Nobel Peace Laureate, 2003
Originally published in Iran, and released through the WLP Translation Series in English following Iran’s 2009 presidential election, the book is now available in Arabic.